New Jersey Nets In Great Position For 2009-10

In the past few days, the New Jersey Nets have completely overhauled their roster. These moves put the Nets in great position for the 2009-10 season.

In come guards Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee and center Tony Battie from Orlando, out goes All-Star Vince Carter and promising forward Ryan Anderson. In comes shooting guard Terrence Williams from Louisville in the draft.

Four players in, two players out. Breaking it down, it looks like we now have a stronger backup for Devin Harris and a veteran backup for Brook Lopez, along with a young perimeter guy in Lee. Terrence Williams will slot into the rotation in the Jarvis Hayes mold, in there for defense and a bit of intensity. 

Ryan Anderson will be missed, both as a personable sidekick to Brook Lopez and as a perimeter shooter who can also grab a few rebounds in the paint. Vince Carter is the biggest loss here, as he stabilized the team at small forward and both guard positions when needed. 

After Devin Harris, Brook Lopez will be the Nets' regular second scoring option. This does not bode well for Lawrence Frank, who did not have the personnel to score in the paint last year. In the team's current configuration, he will have to rely some more on Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to score, and they were not consistent players in 2008-09.

I see that Courtney Lee will play significant minutes at shooting guard, possibly starting or splitting time with the explosive Chris Douglas-Roberts. CDR is a better pure shooter than Lee, but Lee is better along the perimeter. Terrence Williams will also be in the mix at that position. 

As for the team, the Nets are in very good position. Draft position. It's conceivable that they'll have a better shot in the lottery next year. Unless the Nets make another trade, which is possible, the Nets will not win more than 26-30 games next season.